As a beginner, Vietnamese pronunciation can be a little intimidating.
Who am I kidding? It can be very intimidating.
Want to know the secret?
Don’t despair. Simply break the problem down and start by tackling one thing.
Instead of freaking out about all the tones, focus on them one at a time. I’d recommend starting with one of the very distinct ones like nặng, or my favourite hỏi.
How do that?
Watch a video explaining how to say them correctly, look at the speaker’s mouth and copy it as you repeat the word. Then spend a week practising them over and over.
Perhaps your tones are okay but you’re struggling with ng? Do the same thing.
Get feedback
Because of the tonal nature of Vietnamese, it’s really important to get feedback from a native speaker. Watch a video, copy the speaker, then ask a friend or language exchange partner to tell you whether you’re pronouncing it correctly.
Photo credit: ispap